Agenda item

Education Quarter 4 Performance Report

(a)

Councillor Sarah Merry, Deputy Leader, Education, Employment & Skills, will be invited to make a statement. She, along with Nick Batchelar, Director of Education, and Suzanne Scarlett, Performance Manager, will be available to answer Members’ questions;

 

(b)

Questions by members of the Committee;

 

(c)

The way forward for this item will be considered at the end of the meeting.

 

Minutes:

The Chairperson welcomed Councillor Sarah Merry (Cabinet Member – Education, Employment and Skills) and Nick Batchelar (Director Education and Lifelong Learning) to the meeting.

 

The Director made a statement in which he outlined the proposed changes in the way in which Estyn inspect Local Authorities; the changes will modify the approach to inspections, particularly in terms of self-evaluation of processes.  He advised that proposals for increased provision for those with Additional Learning Needs would  be taken to Cabinet in July for consideration.  It is anticipated that pre-decision scrutiny of  Additional Learning Needs would be on the agenda for the  Committee’s meeting in July.

 

Members were invited to comment, seek clarification, or raise questions on the information received. Those discussions are summarised as follows:

 

  •  

Members requested information about the staffing requirements for the new schools under development, and assurance that there will be suitable staffing.  The Director advised there were a number of programmes in place to provide that assurance, including the National Leadership Academy for Wales for which a new Chief Executive has been appointed, and that the Teach First Programme is doing well;

 
  •  

Members were concerned to note to the levels of sickness absence for both teaching assistants and schools support staff, as there has been a slight increase in the figures.  

 
  •  

Members asked for information about the number of schools running recurrent deficit budgets.  Members were advised that the Schools Budget Forum has been monitoring this closely, and good progress has been made through intervention.  The Director confirmed that Michaelston Community College and Glyn Derw were now closed; improvements had been made at Cantonian High School; concerns had been raised at Eastern High School due to pupil numbers however, the school would be at full capacity from September 2018.  There were still budget concerns about Willows, Glyntaff and Whitchurch High Schools. The Director also expressed concern about the budgets carried forward by primary schools, noting that some are cautious about using their budgets.

 

AGREED – That the Chairperson writes to the Cabinet Member on behalf of the Committee expressing their comments and observations discussed during the Way Forward.

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